1S74.] ^'J^ [Delmar. 



Mr. Kaius-Jackson's statements with regard to the wheat crops of all of 

 these countries, as well with regard to that of his own country, have al- 

 ready been shown to be excessive ; while as to Turkey, he was reminded 

 that, so far from i>ossessing a surplus crop of wheat, the people in Ana- 

 tolia were dying from starvation, literally in myriads. To this, the re- 

 sponse, has been made that by Turkey was meant Egypt, and as none of 

 the writers upon the subject appeared to know anything more about 

 Egypt than that it was a land of pyramids, ruined temples and "back- 

 sheesh," Mr. Kains- Jackson has remained more or less unimpeached ; 

 and our manufacturers, our shipping and our railways, all of which, as 

 things stand, depend largely upon the prospects of the grain trade, are 

 thought to have indicated some symptoms of distrust with regard to the 

 prospect before them for the coming year. 



Should such distrust exist, I hope that it may tend at least in some 

 degree to dispel it, if I here express the strong conviction that it is en- 

 tirely groundless, and that during the ensuing harvest year, as hitherto, 

 in the past, our surplus wheat will find as ample and profitable a foreign 

 market — aye, in England, too, — as can be reasonably desired, and that, 

 thei'efore, neither our domestic industries nor carrying trade, by land or 

 water, should suffer anything from the misreiireseutations that have been 

 made. 



And now to Egypt. 



History. 



Of the ancient history of this most interesting country, I need only say 

 that it began in the remotest past and ended with the Persian conquest 

 about 500 years before our era. About 200 years later, Egypt became a 

 Greek province, under Alexander, and about 300 years later still, or at 

 about the commencement of our era, it fell beneath the arms of Rome. 

 This was the period, when, with reference to its function of supplying the 

 markets of the city of Rome with corn, it was called the granary of the 

 world. It was estimated by Greek and Roman writers to have contained 

 at its most flourishing period a population of 7,000,000. With alternately 

 Pagan and Christian rulers, as one or the other Roman faction succeeded 

 in obtaining control of its government, Egypt remained in an anarchical 

 state until the year A. D. 616, when the Persians again took it. They 

 held it for ten years and surrendered it to the Arabs, who held it for 900 

 years. 



At length, in 1517, it was conquered by the Turks, who — not without 

 having for a time lost it to the Marmelukes, who in turn lost it to the 

 French — have retained it to the present time. 



Thus, from the most ancient period, Egypt has been an enslaved 

 country — a fact whose reflection can be seen at all times in the extreme 

 misery and abjection of her people. For the continuance of this wretch- 

 edness, England — but for whose interference forty years ago, the Pasha 

 would have liberated his country from the Turkish yoke — is chiefly re- 

 sponsible. When that yoke is cast oft' and the Pasha, deprived of his 

 A. p. s. — VOL. XIV. 2d 



